As long as your accommodation is within walking distance to Takayama Station, you’ll be able to easily access Takayama’s site seeing attractions. In addition, since you’ll be able to easily access the Nohi Takayama Bus Center and JR trains, you can just as plan day-trips to the UNESCO designated Shirakawa-go & Gokoyama villages, Gero Onsen and more.
The best part about staying at eph TAKAYAMA Hotel? Every room has a private hinoki wood bath! So if you’re not a fan of public onsen (or even if you are) you’ll be in for a relaxing treat during your stay. Hinoki wood (Japanese cypress) is known for its relaxing properties and health benefits. Locals believe it lowers blood pressure, boosts immune systems, offers a better night’s sleep, and more. As Takayama city is famous for producing hinoki trees and hinoki wood products, it’s another great way to experience what the city offers.
With 5 floors, 12 rooms, and a cafe on the 1st floor, eph TAKAYAMA is the perfect-sized hotel. The front desk staff are available 24 hours, and have plenty of local recommendations to share. There are also coin washing machines & dryers on several floors, which is perfect if you’ve been traveling for a while. Rooms come with free bathroom amenities, Japanese yukata, water, tea, coffee, free WiFi, and more.
Another perk is the 1F cafe: Hids’ cafe & bar. You can enjoy a healthy breakfast in the morning, grab a bottle of craft beer, taste a Takayama sake tasting flight, or have a quick bite. We love the coffee they serve here – it might be the best coffee that we’ve had in Japan. (Take a look at the Google reviews if you don’t believe us!)
One thing we absolutely love about Takayama city is its historical townscape. You’ll find streets lined with beautifully preserved Japanese wooden architecture (A.K.A. machiya, 町家). If you’d like to experience staying in a traditional machiya with modern comforts, stay with THE MACHIYA HOTEL TAKAYAMA. The exterior shows off a traditional wooden machiya architecture, which blends perfectly into the historical and quaint townscape.
A short walk from JR Takayama Station, and just around the corner from the historical Jinya architecture, THE MACHIYA HOTEL TAKAYAMA provides the perfect mix of tradition and modern. You can choose to stay in a western-style room, or a Japanese tatami room complete with futon bedding. If you’re traveling with a group of friends or family, we recommend staying in the spacious loft rooms! Rooms include eco-friendly bath amenities, yukata, coffee, tea, and more.
During your stay, you can also reserve one of 2 ‘kashikiri-buro’ (private Japanese-style baths). Spacious, and enveloped by a refreshing hinoki wood scent, you’ll feel as if you are relaxing in the middle of Takayama’s lush forests.
If you’d like to spend an entire day in Shirakawa-go, and not a simple day trip, be prepared to completely immerse yourself in rural Japanese life. There are no nearby convenience stores, trains, or frequent buses, but that’s all part of the experience. Whilst you’re here, we recommend staying in a traditional ryokan to get the most out of your trip! What’s the difference between a ryokan and a machiya? While both are traditional wooden Japanese architectures, ‘ryokan’ are specifically traditional inns with a communal bath, and often offer an in-room course meal experience (kaiseki).
